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“The Activity Was Good” | Butler’s Career Night Helps Utah End Homestand With Big Win | Utah Jazz

By Naomi Gleit

Coming into Friday night’s game against the LA Clippers, the Jazz knew they would be severely shorthanded with four of their top 10 rotation all out due to a variety of injuries. 

When asked about playing shorthanded, especially against a versatile Clippers team, Utah head coach Quin Snyder had an honest assessment about what his team would need to do to get the win. 

“Tonight is going to give some of the other guys a chance. … We need to be able to execute and still play at a high level,” he said pregame. 

Message received. 

Without Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic — Utah’s two leading scorers — the Jazz got off to a hot start and never looked back as they routed LA 121-92 on Friday night. With the win, Utah ended its four-game homestand 3-1 and is 14-5 since the calendar flipped to February. 

“We had a lot of guys that stepped up tonight and were ready to play,” Utah head coach Quin Snyder said. 

“Well, they (Utah) polished us. How about that?” Clippers head coach Ty Lue added. 

Here are fine things to know following the win:

1.) Jared Butler Has A Career Night
It appears that Butler took Snyder’s words to heart — or at least he showed as much on the court.

In a career game for the rookie, he finished with a game-high 21 points — 16 in the fourth quarter — on 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. He added three rebounds and a career-high seven assists.

Butler’s command of the offense while serving as the backup point guard behind Mike Conley was sensational as he looked much more comfortable in the pick-and-roll. He attacked the Clippers’ defense by getting into the paint, never being in a rush, finishing at the rim, kicking out to an open shooter, or finding Rudy Gobert for a dunk.

While it will be challenging to crack Utah’s rotation in the playoffs, Butler proved on Friday night that as he gets older and matures, he will have a very successful career in the league. 

“A lot of times we’ve been put in the position to where I have to score, so it’s been definitely a point of emphasis for me to show that I can pass and get off the ball,” Butler said.

2.) Eric Paschall Rises To The Occasion
While not entirely a veteran — only in his third season in the NBA — Paschall’s performance on Friday night showed precisely why he’s so highly valued by the Jazz.

Thrust into action due to the injuries, Paschall responded with 17 points, four rebounds, and two assists off the bench. From the moment he entered the game midway through the first quarter, he played with his signature physicality and hustle, often overwhelming the Clippers with his bruising style of play. 

Known for being a high-energy guy, Paschall showed much more understanding of the offense as it looked like the game had slowed down for him within Utah’s offense. He cut hard and found the open man, using his quickness and power to get to the rim or kick out and keep the ball moving. 

“I’m just using my speed, using my strength. … Just going out there and being aggressive, that’s what I do,” Paschall said.

3.) Utah’s Newcomers Fitting In Just Fine
While many people around the league and fans throughout the nation expected the Jazz to make a big splash at the NBA trade deadline, GM Justin Zanik and CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge had other ideas.

They made a singular trade, sending beloved Jazzman Joe Ingles to Portland for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Juancho Hernangomez. At the time, many thought the move was a way to clear some money off the books as they believed Alexander-Walker and Hernangomez wouldn’t see much action on the court for the deep and veteran-led squad. 

Turns out they were wrong. 

Alexander-Walker and Hernangomez found themselves in the starting lineup in a game Utah couldn’t afford to lose — and they each made the most of it. 

Hernangomez had his best game in a Utah uniform, finishing with six points, seven rebounds, two steals, two assists, and three blocks in a season-high 27 minutes. His energy was infectious as he did everything with a purpose, catching the eye of Snyder. 

“We haven’t had someone cut like that,” Snyder said of Hernangomez. “He’s cutting on the boards as well so those offensive rebounds are big plays, especially when people are trying to get (Gobert])off the glass.”

Alexander-Walker followed his breakout performance Wednesday night with an equally impressive showing against the Clippers. 

He shined as the point guard in the starting lineup for the first time, allowing Conley to play off the ball. His court vision and ability to pass with both hands remain elite, while his defense continues to be a significant asset. He finished with 13 points, five assists, and four rebounds, proving that he could be a major contributor come April, May, and June. 

“Nickeil’s got good vision, and he’s got size, and he can pass with either hand,” Snyder said. “I think his willingness to pass with our group is something that I think he’s enjoying. If you asked him, I think he likes to pass.” 

4.) Back-To-Back Games Of Shutting The Door
It’s been Utah’s biggest achilles heel this season, the inability to close out games after jumping out to a double-digit lead.

But now, in back-to-back games against teams currently in the playoff picture, Utah has shown the ability to not just finish games but entirely run away with the victories. 

After staving off Chicago’s comeback Wednesday, turning a six-point advantage into a 15-point win, the Jazz took the lead early against the Clippers and refused to let LA back into the game. 

Despite being shorthanded, the Jazz seized momentum from its opening possession and never stopped coming. They started 7-of-9 from the field to lead 17-4, beginning the rout early on.

The second quarter is where Utah put the game away, outscoring LA 41-14 as a combination of efficient offense and dominant defense paved the way. They ended the half on a 20-0 run to lead 71-34 at the break.

The second half was much of the same, with the Jazz upping their lead to as many as 41 in the fourth quarter before LA rallied to make the final score more respectable.

“I think we were connected defensively, particularly the second group when they were switching. … They were doing a good job, and just the activity was good,” Snyder said.

5.) Western Conference Playoff Push
Utah has picked a perfect time to play its best basketball of the season. After the disastrous month that was January, the Jazz are 14-5 since the calendar flipped to February — winning in many ways that prove how deep and versatile this team truly is.

While Friday’s victory was significant for several reasons, it could be a massive step towards securing homeport advantage in the court round of the playoffs. Dallas and Denver helped the Jazz take that step forward as they lost on Friday.

Two nights after a buzzer-beating victory took down Brooklyn, the Mavericks couldn’t muster the same magic as they fell 111-101 to Joel Embiid and Philadelphia. They now have a short turnaround as they continue their east coast road trip, facing LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.

While it’ll be very difficult for the Nuggets to catch Utah, that journey just got more difficult as they fell 119-116 in overtime to Cleveland. 

With just 12 games remaining for the Jazz, they’re slowly inching forward to that No. 4 seed, doing precisely as Rudy Gobert says and taking it “one game at a time.”

STANDINGS
1.) Phoenix (57-14)
2.) Memphis (48-23) — 9
3.) Golden State (47-23) — 9.5
4.) Utah (44-26) — 12.5
5.) Dallas (43-27) — 13.5
6.) Denver (42-29) — 15
7.) Minnesota (41-30) — 16
8.) LA Clippers (36-37) — 22
9.) Los Angeles Lakers (30-40) — 26.5
10.) New Orleans Pelicans (29-41) — 27.5

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Naomi Gleit